NY State Senate Bill 2021-S1062

Senate Bill S1062

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires licensed or certified school social workers in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to education
Jan 06, 2021	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2021-S1062 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7513
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §803-c, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7526, A9533
2019-2020: S3477, A5338
2023-2024: S54, A4873

2021-S1062 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires at least one full-time licensed or certified social worker to be employed in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high school and senior high school throughout the state.

2021-S1062 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S1062

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring a licensed
or certified social worker in each elementary, intermediate, middle,
junior high and senior high school

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure that all elementary, intermediate, middle, junior and senior
high schools throughout New York State have an effective social work
program in place to meet the needs of their students.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The Education Law is amended by adding a new section 803-B, to require
the board of trustees of every school district to employ at least one
licensed or certified social worker in each elementary, intermediate,
middle, junior high and senior high school under their jurisdiction.

This employment shall be exclusive of any social workers funded or
mandated through any special education funding, aid, regulation or stat-
ute.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The role and function of a licensed or certified school social worker
and the role and function of other pupil personnel services are
distinctly separate. In addition to possessing certification through the
Office of Teaching Initiatives, school social workers are licensed by
the New York State Board of Regents with a scope of practice legally
protected under Article 154 of the New York State Education Law.

Licensed and certified school social workers are at the forefront of
school social, behavioral, and community issues. The skills and compe-
tencies of these licensed and certified school social workers enable
schools to carry out their primary functions of educating all pupils
more effectively.

Reducing or eliminating the presence of social workers in our schools
would have a devastating effect on our students. Given the current
economic crisis and the resulting impact on families and children,
stress and worry has risen sharply due to loss of income, rising debt,
unemployment, underemployment, loss of insurance, housing instability,
hunger, and many other factors. These factors are known to contribute to
increased incidence of mental illness, substance abuse, suicide,
violence, crime, and in an academic environment, may be attributed to
increased absence and risk of school failure.

Licensed and certified school social workers are qualified to address
these factors. By applying appropriate intervention strategies, school
social workers are able to alleviate some of these issues and support
academic success. Every student in New York deserves equal access to
services and every school in New York should provide the important
services social workers can provide.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020: S3477 - Referred to Education

2019: S3477 - Referred to Education

2018: S7526-A - Referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S1062 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1062
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GOUNARDES, PARKER, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered
   printed,  and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Educa-
   tion
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  a  licensed
   or  certified  social worker in each elementary, intermediate, middle,
   junior high and senior high school

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 803-c
 to read as follows:
   § 803-C. SOCIAL WORKERS LICENSED UNDER ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED  FIFTY-FOUR
 OF  THIS  CHAPTER  OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO RULES AND REGULATIONS ESTAB-
 LISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT, REQUIRED IN ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATE,  MIDDLE,
 JUNIOR HIGH AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.  THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR TRUSTEES
 OF  EVERY  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  DISTRICT IN THE STATE SHALL ON AND AFTER JULY
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE EMPLOY AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO AT LEAST ONE
 LICENSED OR CERTIFIED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER IN EACH OF THE SCHOOLS  UNDER
 THEIR  JURISDICTION  EXCLUSIVE  OF  ANY  SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS FUNDED OR
 MANDATED THROUGH ANY SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, AID, REGULATION OR STAT-
 UTE.  SUCH LICENSED OR CERTIFIED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER SHALL PERFORM SUCH
 DUTIES WITHIN THEIR LAWFUL SCOPE OF PRACTICE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03081-01-1

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Senate Bill S1062

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Sponsored By

Andrew Gounardes